Caring for a Child With Cancer
- “90 Day Fiance” star Deavan Clegg is currently caring for her 4-year-old son Taeyang, who has acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
- She is holding out hope that he will beat the disease, saying that he is “still fighting” and “will win this battle.”
- The mom of three is also struggling to pay for his care, as she has had to stop working to become his full-time caregiver.
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, is a “very aggressive” type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
- One former caregiver told SurvivorNet taking care of a child with cancer requires “a lot of organizing and a lot of advocating.”
- One of our experts says it’s important for caregivers to make sure they take time for themselves.
Clegg, 26, had her 4-year-old son Taeyang with her reality star ex Jihoon Lee, 28, who she appeared with on "90 Day Fiance: The Other Way." Sadly, little Taeyang has been in a fight for his life since he was 3.
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"I'm overcome with so much emotion and devastation to announce that my beloved son Taeyang who just celebrated his third birthday last month was just diagnosed with childhood cancer, b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia just a few days ago."
Fast forward to today, and Teayang is still fighting. A recent post from his mother showed the little boy looking well wearing matching overalls with his mother while being held in her arms.
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“My hero â¤ï¸ Taeyang is still fighting cancer but he's doing amazing we will win this battle. #cancerawareness #childhoodcancer,” she wrote in her caption.
We don’t know too much more about his current treatment, but check out the family’s GoFundMe page if you’d like to learn more about Clegg and Taeyang’s story.
The family is also accepting donations to help pay for his care, as the mother of three has had to stop working to become Taeyang's full-time caregiver.
"Childhood cancer is devastating emotionally and sadly takes its toll on every aspect of life," the GoFundMe reads.
Playing the Role of Cancer Caregiver and Parent Like Deavan Clegg
About 9,910 children under age 15 in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2023, according to the American Cancer Society.
That means there will be many children fighting the disease and many parents caring for them this year. So, if you find yourself caring for a childhood cancer patient, know you are not alone.
NYC-based photographer Jayne Wexler, like Deavan Clegg, also had to hear that her child was diagnosed with ALL.
In a previous conversation with SurvivorNet, she discussed the ins and outs of handling a childhood cancer diagnosis as well as the emotional toll cancer had on the whole family.
“It’s really hard to see your child going through this,” she said. “If it can be me, I would take it in a second, you know.
“You just go on autopilot and you do what you have to do.”
"I Try To Stay Strong, But Sometimes You Need To Cry": Playing The Role of Cancer Caregiver and Mom
Part of filling that responsibility required Wexler to do “a lot of organizing and a lot of advocating.”
“You need to keep track of what’s happening, because there’s a lot of components to dealing with cancer,” she explained. “So, you don’t have that much time for yourself.
“I try to stay strong, but then sometimes you just want to go and cry and you need to cry, and it’s good to cry. But it’s been a roller coaster.”
The Impact of a Childhood Cancer Diagnosis on the Whole Family
Wexler said support from her family and therapy was a big help as she handled the overwhelming task of caregiving.
One of our experts suggests people taking on "the most important job in the universe" make time for things outside of caregiving particularly things that bring them joy.
RELATED: Patrick Dempsey's Advice to Cancer Caregivers: Take Care of Yourself, Too
"It is important to have some things that you can do outside of the focus of caring for somebody that you love with cancer," Julie Bulger, manager of patient and family-centered care at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.